AHMEDABAD: Several Hindu outfits held protests across Gujarat on Monday against the killing of a youth in Dhandhuka town here on January 25 over a Facebook post he had shared on January 6 that some people alleged hurt their religious sentiments.
Kishan Boliya was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne men over the post and four people, including two Muslim clerics, have been arrested in the case, the probe of which was taken over from the local police by Gujarat Anti Terrorism Squad on Saturday.
During the day, functionaries of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Hindu Jagran Manch and Bajrang Dal organised vehicle rallies and foot marches in several cities, with the police having to resort to a mild baton charge in Rajkot.
The protest by local residents, mostly people from the Maldhari (cattle rearing) community, on Race Course road went out of control, Rajkot Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoharsinh Jadeja said.
"The march was supposed to culminate at the Collector's office, but en route some protesters threw stones and damaged a police PCR van. A mild lathicharge was ordered to bring the situation under control. One person claimed he was injured in the lathicharge but we do not buy his claim as force used was minimal," the DCP told reporters.
Protest programmes, including marches, shutdowns and prayer meets, were held by these outfits in Surat, Gandhinagar, Tankara Jetpur.
Modasa, Morbi, Porbandar, Rajula, Mahuva, Deesa, Siddhpur, Karjan, Dabhoi and Padra etc.
In Surat, protest marches were organised in Rander and Mora Bhagal, where people demanded capital punishment for the accused, while a bandh was observed in Visavadar, Mahuva, Palitana and Thangarh, functionaries from these outfits said.
"Common Hindu citizens organized rallies across the state today demanding justice for Boliya. People want the police to go deeper into this entire conspiracy which led to the murder of Boliya. We have learnt that one more person was on their target, and there is a need to probe the ideology that is responsible for such crimes" Gujarat VHP spokesperson Hitendrasinh Rajput claimed.